St. Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday this year, which means that under state law bars cannot serve alcohol until 9 a.m. State Representative Barry Hobbins (D-Saco) is proposing emergency legislation to change that.
Really?

The Maine Constitution provides "An emergency bill shall include only such measures as are immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health or safety". The proposed legislation satisfies neither of these requirements. By the way it also applies to the legislation passed to amend the freedom of information act regarding consealed gun carry license holders.

For those not acquainted with the St. Pat's tradition, any bar with even the slightest claim to an Irish heritage will or would like to, apparently, open at 6 AM on the big day. This is 3 hour, one out of seven years legislation we're talking about, here. Attendance, sales and consumption are enormous.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have participated in the tradition . . quite a few times . . and share the first name of the day's honoree. I can't recall ever being confronted with the Sunday St. Pat's dilemna. While I have my suspicions, I can't say if Hobbins is trying to address the tradition of time itself or if the 6 AM start does indeed set the tone for enormous attendance, sales and consumption. Regardless, without actually looking it up, it would seem this problem has presented itself every 7 years, or so, that it will continue to do so and has, thus far, been dealt with effectively in the marketplace and without the benefit of legislation.

Driving down to Portland this morning while listening to a fading in-out radio signal from the WVOM-fm 103.9 Ric Tyler-George Hale talk radio show, i believe Hobbins (D-Saco} himself was on the air who said: [paraphrased] " 'opening the barrooms at 6am was not about drinking alcohol but for recognition of the holiday

Simple enough without controversy let the barrooms open at 6am but no serving alcohol til 9am.

Those of you who identify as being liberty-loving should be questioning why such a law is on the books in the first place. The state has no compelling interest in this absurd regulation.

Are Hobbins' motives pure? No. Should this be emergency legislation? No. Should restrictions be placed on the time of day when adults can begin consuming a legally available good? No. Should this law be removed from the books? Yes.

Ah, memories. Back in my youthful drinking life as a young newspaperman there was a wonderful little country town in northwestern New Jersey which only required bars to be closed one hour in each 24 hour interval. The wily pubkeeper had a small diner adjacent to the barroom. At 4:55 a.m. a siren would go off alerting us to drink up because the bar would close at 5 a.m. (If we were shooting pool, everything remained awaiting our return.) With great pomp and ritual, a sliding door opened into the diner. We crossed the threshhold and went to breakfast and the sliding door would close and lock behind us. At precisely 5:55 a.m. the siren went off again to alert us that the sliding door was about to be unlocked at 6 a.m. for legal reentry into the barroom. Refurbished with food and an hour hiatus, we were ready for another round or two. As this was the only bar in the only town with such a law, night owls from all over northern New Jersey flocked to it and it was always busy. Regulars included bartenders who had closed up their own places in other towns. Lots of newspeople who worked a night shift to put out the paper and never got to bed before dawn. There were rumors that the redhead who always sat on the left side of the long wooden bar was a hooker who came in to relax after a night's work in the city but she never plied her alleged trade amongst us and was just one of the gang. And there were some shady characters who would have been at home in either a Damon Runyon or Mario Puzo story. Alas, about a year later the woman who would become my first wife came into my life and I had to eschew such a demiworld lifestyle. A little tear would roll down my cheek whenever I drove down Route 206 and passed the establishment.

No one should be in a bar before 9 am. Yes, when I was a tiny tater I used to work the 11 to 7 shift, but we'd have a six pack in the trunk and sit in the car sipping Buds watching the little ones totter off to school, we didn't NEED a bar.

Anyone who NEEDS a bar before 9 am is likely an alcoholic, and a corresponding drain on soceity. Good law.

No one should be in a bar before 9 am. Yes, when I was a tiny tater I used to work the 11 to 7 shift, but we'd have a six pack in the trunk and sit in the car sipping Buds watching the little ones totter off to school, we didn't NEED a bar.

Anyone who NEEDS a bar before 9 am is likely an alcoholic, and a corresponding drain on soceity. Good law.

When did you join the nanny state cheerleaders, Tom? It's not your decision as to whether anyone NEEDS anything. A person's drinking habits are their business, not yours. Nannyism is an even bigger drain on society.

Pal, these people in the bars are DRUNKS, and I'm supporting them one way or another.

I am sick of hearing the libertarian argument used as an excuse for being a useless sot.

Get rid of the welfare and disability payments FIRST, and then they can open the bars 24 hours a day as far as I'm concerned.

I'm with Anne Couter on the hedonistic so-called "libertarians":

“Second of all, it is my business because we are living in a welfare state … Right now, I have to pay for, it turns out, coming down the pike, your health care. I have to pay for your unemployment when you can’t hold a job. I have to pay for your food, for your housing. Yeah, it’s my business!”

Reaganite, don't you know that Tom C is the moral concience of AMG? Any mention of alcohol or sexual fun will bring him out post haste. And don't get him started on how the courts favor women over men! Apparently, these issues are very personal to him. I'm just guessing, but I think he'd favor bringing back the stocks and scarlet letters.
He's probably not Irish.

Tom C: Back in my drinking days we took great consolation in the fact that we could sleep off our drunks and be respectable upon awaking whereas prudes like you would still be the same person the next morning.

Toms' point I agree with. If some one really needs this prior to 9 am they need other things also!
Having grown up with a parent who had a problem taught enough to know he is correct.
That aside how many will decry this as nannyish by the state and than decry our PC world.
This is supporting ethnic stereotyping at its' best , it is just funny to some !
Each to there own but this is just wrong and a waste of resources in the legislature.
Chances are failing this attempt he will still hold his campaign parties there .

By the way whether it is or not, should be or not these establishments are controlled by state which includes at some point utilization of resources we all pay for.

Tom C: Back in my drinking days we took great consolation in the fact that we could sleep off our drunks and be respectable upon awaking whereas prudes like you would still be the same person the next morning.

Charming Vic, a paraphrase of Winston Churchill.

But, yes, I'm sure at any bar that would be open before 9am, you will find only the finest paragons of society.

Just ask one, they'll tell you what a great, responsible, and hardworking person they would be. And, of course, they'll tell you that being hungover NEVER affects their work. Nope, they're just as sharp as ever.

Been there, done that. Just drifting down de Nile, as happy as a clam.

Whatever.

You people are missing my point. Get rid of welfare, THEN you can dispense freedom. The biggest advocates of "freedom" are the potheads on welfare.

Don't you dare tell THEM what to do!

That aside how many will decry this as nannyish by the state and than decry our PC world.

You can try to bring welfare into this if you want, but it's a stretch. I'm not on welfare, and would appreciate it if the state would not decide when or when I can drink at a bar. By the way, my days of wanting to go to a bar on a Sunday morning are largely gone, but if I decide to return to them, as a grown adult, I think it should be my choice!

You can try to bring welfare into this if you want, but it's a stretch. I'm not on welfare, and would appreciate it if the state would not decide when or when I can drink at a bar. By the way, my days of wanting to go to a bar on a Sunday morning are largely gone, but if I decide to return to them, as a grown adult, I think it should be my choice!

I think that it is odd that a conservative is now required to embrace drinking at all hours, dope smoking and widespread wanton sexual activities, of both the commercial and private nature.

To suggest sobriety and morality seems to result in condemnation and ridicule from those who believe themselves the vanguard of the conservative movement.

Sorry, I'll stick to my guns here. I don't think I'm the one in this debate who is full of self-serving pompous baloney. I think the whiney demands to open the bars before 9am for the sake of "liberty" come from those with the emotional maturity of spoiled children, who have completely lost sight of the big picture.

Tom C, it comes down to personal choice, no more no less. I have been in bars as soon a they opened, but then again I got off work at 4am. My work schedule was just the opposite of most people and yet you are saying that it is wrong, who are you to judge what is moral for me any more than I am for you?

As I said before, back in my drinkin' and hard livin' days, me and my co-workers had no problem cracking open a six pack at 7:10 am after working an 11-7.

Look, if you are a race car driver, you can probably drive 30 mph over the speed limit safely. That doesn't mean that we should get rid of speed limits so you can have the freedom to do so.

Most of the people you would find in a bar before 9 am are NOT coming off a work shirft. They, instead, tend to be financial wards of the state. Many on unemployment, because they can't hold down a job.

Who is a stronger advocate for personal freedom than a pot-head or a drunk on the dole?

Therefore, since I am supporting them, it IS my business.

Get rid of welfare, and then you can have your bars open 24/7 for all I care.

As this has gone in a true AMG fashion the other issue is the ridiculous nature of this leg. from a prominent Senator just reeks
of just what Naran said at minimum a huge CONFlICT of Interest.
If I am wrong own ownership I will note that the local dems. seem to hold every party there at election time etc. .
Yes there is also former legislator named Kerry .

Actually Stephen Carmichael nailed it above!
Let a republican attempt this and Hobbins would be all over it !

Thank God that hobbins has the presence of mind and adequate time to make sure there's legislation in place to take care of this.Those boys in Augusta can get mighty thirsty rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.....

Most of the people you would find in a bar before 9 am are NOT coming off a work shirft. They, instead, tend to be financial wards of the state. Many on unemployment, because they can't hold down a job.

Tom: Support your allegations with fact - a link, a study, or a survey. If you cannot do that - and we both you that you cannot - then your argument is nothing more the conjecture of someone who likes to hear himself drone on. It's a shame that your life is filled with such hatred and such an overinflated sense of self.

I'm truly glad that you reformed yourself. But when it comes to being a zealot, there's nothing worse than an ex-anything.